CLIPBOARD : BREEDING BIRDS : MARSH WREN (Cistothorus palustris)

Description: This small, chunky brown bird has a slender beak and upturned tail. Its reddish-brown crown, wings and tail are dotted with black. Distinctive white eyebrow stripe and white streaks mark the black upper back. Buff-colored belly and underparts. Length: 5 inches.

Habitat: Marshes and swamps, in either fresh or brackish waters.

Diet: Snails, aquatic insects and, occasionally, contents of other birds’ eggs.

Displays: In courtship, the male sits a few inches above the female, fluffs out his chest feathers and cocks his tail high over his back. Then he flaps partially folded wings while rapidly wagging his head back and forth.

Nest: Layers of reeds and grass built within tall reeds. Nest, generally, faces south or west and is lined with fine materials and feathers. Male builds nest and female lines it.

Eggs: Drab brown with dark brown markings, sometimes wreathed. Length: 0.7 inches.

Call: Sings both day and night, song is a series of raucous reedy notes. Alarm call is a sharp tsuk , often quickly repeated.

Notes: Formerly known as the Long-Billed Marsh Wren, this secretive marsh bird is common in Upper Newport Bay. While these wrens are more often heard than seen, they can be lured out of hiding by squeaking noises.

Breeding bird atlas: To report bird breeding activity in your neighborhood, or to get information on the breeding bird atlas, call Sea and Sage Audubon Society members Sylvia Gallagher, (714) 962-8990, or Nancy Kenyon, (714) 786-3160.

Note: Map is divided into 5-kilometer squares so that Audubon Society volunteers can more easily survey areas on a regular basis.

Sources: Sea and Sage Audubon Society; “The Birder’s Handbook,” Ehrlich, Dobkin and Wheye, Fireside Books (1988); “Field Guide to the Birds of North America,” National Geographic Society (1987); “Birds of Southern California: Status and Distribution,” Garrett and Dunn, Los Angeles Audubon Society (1981).